Batting

Junior Megan Ruonavaara allowed just three hits over seven innings in Stonehill's 2-0 game one win over Bentley today.

Sophomore Michelle Carbone leads Skyhawks with 3-for-7 effort, a double and two RBI

EASTON, Mass. (April 23, 2015) – The Stonehill College softball team split a pair of Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division contests with rival Bentley University this afternoon at Gartland Field. Stonehill blanked Bentley 2-0 in the opener for its fourth straight shutout, before dropping game two by a score of 6-4.

With the split, Stonehill moves into second place in the division standings as Saint Anselm College fell to Southern New Hampshire University this afternoon.

Junior Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Connecticut/Rocky Hill) went the distance in today's opener, holding the Falcons to three hits to improve her record to 6-2 this season.

Sophomore Michelle Carbone (Rocky Hill, Connecticut/Rocky Hill) led the way at the plate, going 3-for-7 with a double and two RBI. Junior Lauren Esposito (Middlefield, Connecticut/Coginchaug) walked, singled twice and scored a pair of runs, while classmate Alison Sumski (Amherst, New Hampshire/Souhegan) added two hits and sophomore Cassandra Squeri (New Providence, New Jersey/New Providence) drove in one run.

Bentley junior Kelly Ferris (Seymour, Connecticut/Seymour) took the loss in the opener despite striking out five and giving up just one earned run over six innings. Sophomore Kelsey Smith (Jaffrey, New Hampshire/Conant) improved to 6-1 with the win in game two, while Ferris tossed 2.1 frames of relief to pick up her second save of the season.

Senior Shannon Connor (West Haven, Connecticut/West Haven) paced the Bentley offense with three hits and two RBI, while sophomore Kelsey Kennedy (Bedford, New Hampshire/Bedford) went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored. Junior Morgan Mazone (Selkirk, New York/Bethlehem Central) and Smith added two hits each for the Falcons.

Stonehill 2, Bentley 0

Stonehill missed several opportunities to take a lead early in game one, leaving the bases loaded in both the third and fourth innings. The Skyhawks finally broke through in the fifth, scoring two runs on two hits and an error.

Esposito led off with a single to center field, before advancing to second on a sacrifice. Carbone followed with a single up the middle, plating Esposito, before coming around to score on a Bentley throwing error.

Sophomore Michelle Carbone went 3-for-7 with a double and two RBI against the Falcons.

The seventh inning started with promise for the Falcons, as Smith led off with a double, but Ruonavaara retired the next three batters in order to end the contest.

Bentley 6, Stonehill 4

After being held to just three hits in the opener, Bentley tripled that total with nine in game two and salvaged a split. The first three batters in the Falcons' lineup, sophomore Chelsea Vena (Matawan, New Jersey/Saint John Vianney), Kennedy and Connor, combined for six hits and six RBI.

Kennedy staked Bentley to a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the top of the third, snapping Stonehill's streak of 30 consecutive scoreless frames, but the Skyhawks would answer with three runs in the bottom half of the inning.

After junior Emily Padilla (Wappingers Falls, New York/Roy C. Ketcham) came in to score on a passed ball, Carbone gave the Skyhawks the lead with an RBI single through the right side of the infield. Carbone then got caught in a rundown attempting to steal second base, which allowed junior Megan Staudle (New Windsor, New York/Cornwall Central) to score from third.

Bentley regained the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring three runs to go up 4-3. Vena drove in a pair with a double to left field, and two batters later Connor delivered an RBI single to center. The Falcons extended their lead to three in the sixth on RBI singles by Kennedy and Connor, and Stonehill capped the scoring in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Squeri.

Stonehill (18-13, 11-7 NE-10) will be back in action tomorrow at 3 p.m. with a single game against Franklin Pierce University at Gartland Field, while Bentley (11-15, 8-9 NE-10) returns home to host Southern New Hampshire.